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For immediate release

Awards flock to Washington wildlife campaign

SPOKANE, Wash. (April 22, 2008) – A locally produced, external marketing campaign titled, The Wonders of Wildlife, recently landed six marketing communications awards, including a “Brightest Spark” (“Best of Show” award) from the Spokane Regional MarCom Association.

The campaign, produced by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, bested more than 100 entries to win one of only two “Brightest Spark” awards from the association. In addition, the campaign won two awards of excellence and three awards of merit for its brochure, radio and TV public service announcements and direct-mail print components.

The annual MarCom Spark Awards competition was created 13 years ago to honor the process and results of well-designed communication efforts by regional businesses, organizations and public relations firms for the competition. This year’s entries were judged by industry professionals from the Public Relations Society of America’s Salem, Oregon chapter.

“More important than winning the awards,” said NRCS Public Affairs Officer Ron Nichols, “is the fact that the campaign has been effective in increasing landowner awareness and interest in developing wildlife habitat here in Washington. It has also been influential in informing Washington’s landowners about the programs and services – both from the NRCS and other state and local organizations – that can help landowners build better habitat,” he said.

Because conservation districts, land trust organizations, state agencies and others play such a key role in helping landowners make the right decisions regarding the selection and development of wildlife habitat, Nichols said much of the campaign focused on partnering with those organizations to “help us get the word out.”

“By using the campaign materials,” he said, “these organizations have helped educate and motivate Washington landowners throughout the past year. Ultimately, these efforts will result in the implementation of wildlife habitat improvement projects on private lands well into the future,” Nichols said.

For more information regarding the Wonders of Wildlife campaign, visit www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov .

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